Civil War Timeline / Chronology for April 1865

April 1, 1865	Battle of Five Forks George Pickett [CS] could not withstand the federal envelopment move around Petersburg that began here.	Virginia
	Siege of Petersburg
	Philip Sheridan
	Gouverneur K. Warren
	George Pickett
April 2, 1865 April 9, 1865	Battle of Fort Blakely	Alabama
April 2, 1865	With the Petersburg line crumbling, Lee informs Davis he will abandon his position that evening. The Confederate government evacuates Richmond and Mayor Joseph Mayo surrenders the city to General Godfrey Weitzel.	Virginia
	Richmond, Virginia
	Robert E. Lee
	Jefferson Davis
	Siege of Petersburg
April 2, 1865	Battle of Selma Wilson [US] defeats Forrest [CS]	Alabama
	Nathan Bedford Forrest
April 3, 1865	Union troops occupy Petersburg and Richmond	Virginia
	Richmond, Virginia
April 4, 1865	President Lincoln visits Richmond, walking to the Confederate White House among cheering crowds, mostly freed slaves. A detachment of 10 men protected him.	Virginia
	Richmond, Virginia
	Abraham Lincoln
April 4, 1865	Battle of Jetersville	Virginia
April 6, 1865	Battle of Sayler's Creek (Sailor's Creek) George Meade [US] defeats John Gordon [CS], Dick Ewell [CS], and R. H. Anderson [CS]. Anderson and Ewell accidentally became separated from the main body of Lee's Army. 8,000 Confederate soldiers are forced to surrender	Virginia
	George Meade
	John B. Gordon
	Richard Ewell
April 7, 1865	Grant begans communication with Lee known as the "Surrender Letters."	Virginia
	Surrender Letters
	Robert E. Lee
	Ulysses S. Grant
April 8, 1865	Battle of Appomattox Station Cavalry under Phillip Sheridan strikes the rail depot south of the Appomattox Court House, driving Rebels back and capturing essential supplies	Virginia
	Appomattox (or Appomattox Court House)
	Battle of Appomattox
	Philip Sheridan
	George Armstrong Custer
April 9, 1865	After attempting to break-out of the Union envelopment, Robert E. Lee surrenders the Army of Northern Virginia to Ulysess S. Grant at the home of Wilmer McLean in Appomattox Court House	Virginia
	Ulysses S. Grant
	Robert E. Lee
	Appomattox (or Appomattox Court House)
	Battle of Appomattox
	Surrender At Appomattox
	George Armstrong Custer
	James Longstreet
	Edward O. C. Ord
April 11, 1865	Confederate government withdraws to North Carolina
April 14, 1865	United States President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated on Good Friday by John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theatre, Washington, D. C.
	Ford's Theater
	Abraham Lincoln
	Washington D. C.
April 15, 1865	Abraham Lincoln dies in a boardinghouse opposite Ford's Theater. Andrew Johnson takes the oath of office.
	Abraham Lincoln
	Andrew Johnson
April 18, 1865	Sherman and Johnston reach agreement on the surrender of all remaining armies in the Confederacy.
	William Tecumseh Sherman
	Joseph E. Johnston
April 19, 1865	The nation mourns U. S. President Abraham Lincoln at his funeral in Washington, D. C.
	Abraham Lincoln
	Washington D. C.
April 24, 1865	General William T. Sherman [US] learns of President Johnson's rejection of his surrender terms to Joe Johnston. General Grant, who personally delivered the message, orders Sherman to commence operations against Johnson within 48 hours. Sherman is incensed but obeys orders.	North Carolina
	Joseph E. Johnston
	William Tecumseh Sherman
	Andrew Johnson
April 26, 1865	P. G. T. Beauregard [CS] surrenders, Durham Station, North Carolina.
	P. G. T. Beauregard
April 26, 1865	Joe Johnston surrenders to William Tecumseh Sherman
	William Tecumseh Sherman
	Joseph E. Johnston
April 26, 1865	John Wilkes Booth is shot while fleeing a burning tobacco shed.	Virginia
April 27, 1865	Carrying former prisoners-of-war the Sultana explodes on the Mississippi River near Memphis.
April 29, 1865	Commercial shipping restrictions lifted from most Confederate ports